The ONC working to connect and accelerate a FHIR App Ecosystem

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is investing in a three-part strategy that calls on innovators to develop market-ready software applications (apps) for consumers and healthcare providers in an effort to improve the health and care of the country. The strategy seeks to leverage the Health Level 7 – Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)Web Site Disclaimers standard and growing interest in an industry-wide approach to open, standardized application programming interfaces (APIs).

It's exciting to see the ONC throw their weight behind FHIR, not with regulations, but with reward programs that will likely attract smaller, more innovative mobile app developers. Once non-health IT app developers get a glimplse of how RESTful-based FHIR applications can gain entry into enterprise EHRs — and vice versa — then we will surely see exciting advancements in healthcare.

You never know, the on-demand tech economy ushered in by the likes of Uber and Airbnb may soon have a presence at your doctor's office!